Dental apparatus.



No. 677,975. Patented July 9, l90l.

J. ".IGILBERT.

DENTAL APPARATUS.

(Application filed. Dec. 27, 1 0.) X (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet l i i 7 l cu um.

Patented July 9 l90l.

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- attuwuao No. 677,975. Patented July 9, I901. m. GILBERT.

DENTAL APPARATUS.

(Application mm Due. 27, 1900.) (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheat 3.

ww" ail'lberfi UNITED STATES PATENT o es.

JAMES MADISON GILBERT, OF DALLAS, TEXAS.

DENTALSAPPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 677,975, dated July 9, 1901. Application filed December 27, 1900. Serial No. 41,204. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES MADISON GIL- BERT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Dallas, in the county of Dallas and State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Dental Apparatus; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to dental apparatus; and its object is to provide a novel and convenient construction of apparatus for supplying medicine, hot air, and water for treating decayed and abscessed teeth.

The invention consists of certain novel features of construction, combination, and arrangement of parts, which will be hereinafter more fully described, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevational View of a dental apparatus embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a top plan View thereof. Fig. 3 is a vertical cross-section through the apparatus. Fig. 4 is a vertical longitudinal section through one of the ovens or heating-chambers. Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the stationary section of one of the heating-chambers, showing parts in section to disclose the construction of the electric-heating means. Figs. 6 to 10, inclusive, are detail views of various parts of the apparatus. Fig. 11 is a detail sectional view through a section of one of the heating-chambers, showing a modification in which annealing means may be employed. Fig. 12 is a detail view of the annealing-plate.

Like reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

The letter A in the drawings designates a supporting stand or table on which are mounted two electric heaters B andO for heating air and water. Each of these heaters comprises in itsconstruction an outer cylindrical inclosing case or chamber, formed of a stationary semicylindrical base-section D,a similarly-shaped cover-section E, hinged to said base-section to open in an outward direction, and an inner receiving vessel or receptacle F. This inner vessel F is of relatively smaller diameter than the inclosing case, so as to provide asurrounding space for the circulation of hot air, and is provided with conoidal ends f, terminating in reduced cylindrical nipples f, which fit within and project to the exterior through semicircular slots or open bearings f formed in the meeting edges of the end portions of the sections D and E of the casing. The outer containing vessel is preferably madeof metal, and the inner vessel may also be made of metal, in which case non conducting material f would be employed in said slots or open bearings to properly insulate the parts from one another. 6 At the rear end of the apparatus the vessels F of the two heaters B and O are connected bya union tube or pipe G, having its ends fitted upon the contiguous nipples f and provided intermediately with branch pipes g and g, connecting, respectively, with tubes 9 and g leading from an air reservoir or a compressor, such as an ordinary foot bellows-pump H, and from an air-receiver I. A

water tank or reservoir K is also connected with the union tube or pipe G to supply water to the receiving vessel F of the waterheater 0 and is provided with a valve or cook 70 to control the outflow of water therefrom. A three-way valve g is located at the center of said union-pipe and junction of said pipe with the branches g and g and controls the flow of air to the two receiving vessels F and the air-receiver I. The valve may be turned to open communication between the air-receiver and union-pipe to permit air to pass to either vessel F, also to pass to the air-receiver directly from the tube 9 Without passing into said union-pipe, and has ablank position in which the flow of air from the foot- 0 pump and air-receiver is wholly cut off. A safety-valve g is provided in the union-pipe G to relieve said pipe and the vessel F of the water-heater C of any excess pressure of air and steam. The inclosing vessels of the two 5 heaters are also provided with outlets h at each end for the escape of hot air.

Upon the nipple f at the forward end of the receptacle F of the air-heater B is fitted a bifurcated coupling Z, provided with a con IOC trolling-valve Z and having connected thereto two flexible air-conducting tubes M and N, provided, respectively, at their free ends with syringes 0r nozzles m and n. The syringe or nozzle 01 is adapted for use only for conducting hot air for drying out the cavities or rootcanals of teeth, while the syringe m is provided with a compressible bulb m for containing an antiseptic or medicament. By compressing the bulb the medicine may be injected into the cavity or canal of the tooth and forced down into the canal, if desired, by a jet of air. The valve Z may be turned to allow hot air from the hot-air vessel F to pass to either one of the tubes or to cut oif communication with both of said tubes, as desired. A bracket 0, having hooked arms at its upper end, is provided to support the syringes and tubes when not in use, and the syringe a may be provided with a ring or eye a to hold it securely against casual displace ment. If desired, a tumbler or receiver 071 may be mounted upon the bracket to receive the nozzle of the syringe on and to catch any medicine dropping therefrom. A flexible tube P is fitted at one end upon the nipple f at the forward end of the hot-water receptacle of the heater 0 and is similarly provided at its free end with a nozzle or syringe 10 for the injection of hot water into the cavity or rootcanal of a tooth. This syringe p has a ring or eye 12 to engage the hooked arm of a bracket 0 to support said syringe and the tube P when these parts are not in use.

The operation of the parts thus far described will be readily understood from the foregoing description, and it will be seen that hot air alone orhot air with a suitable antiseptic and hot water may be injected into the cavities or root-canals of decayed teeth to dry the same and cure abscesses and other diseased condition s. By admitting air into the hot-water receptacle a stream of hot water under pressure may be injected to thoroughly penetrate the root-canal, as willbe readily understood. If desired, air may be supplied directly to either receptacle F from the air-pump II or from the air-receiver I at the will of the operator by simply regulating valve 9 Catches q are provided on the cover-sections E to engage the stationary sectionsD and hold said coversections closed.

Any approved mode of heating the chambers B and C may be employed; but I prefer to heat them electrically on account of cleanliness, simplicity of construction, compactness, and uniformity of heating. I therefore provide each heating-chamber with electrical heating connections constructed and arranged as follows: At each corner of the stationary section D and cover-section E of each inclosing casing is arranged an L-shaped contact and conducting block, properly secured to and insulated from the casing, the positive blocks 1 being located at the front ends of the casings and the negative blocks 7" at the rear ends thereof. Each pair of blocks upon the outer and inner sides of each section of the casings are connected by conductors 8, provided with loops or binding-posts s, to

which are connected one or more coiled resistance-wires 25. The said wire or wires extend continuously from one side to the other of the casing-section, to which they are attached and pass back and forth from one side to the other and are backed by or embedded in a layer T of asbestos or a mixture of asbestos and clay. The upper and lower series of blocks upon the inner side of the sections of each heater-casin g are adapted to be elcc trically connected by contact-pieces t on the cover-section, which when said section is closed contacts with the blocks on the inner side of the stationary section. An electric current from a suitable source of supply is conveyed to the wires t by positive and neg ative conducting-wires U V, connected to binding-posts on standards 10 a; at the front and rear of the base. The post to is provided with switches w 102, which are adapted to contact with the blocks at the inner front ends of the heaters to electrically connect the same with the positive wire U, while the post a: is provided with similar switches at m to contact with the blocks at the inner front ends of the heaters to electrically connect the same with the negative wire V. By this construction and arrangement of parts an electric current may be supplied to heat either heating-chamber or to heat both heating-chambers simultaneously, as will be readily understood. Each casing may be' provided with a thermometer y, whereby the temperatureof the interior there of may be readily ascertained at any time. I may, if desired, provide the sections of each heating-chamber with flanges or ledges z to support an annealing-plate 2', whereby provision is made for annealing gold or silver for use in dental work.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the construction and mode of operation of my invention will be readily understood, and it will be seen that it provides an effective and extremely useful device for the use of dentists in treating decayed and abscessed teeth. While the preferred embodiment of my in- Vention is herein disclosed, it will of course be understood that changes in the form, proportion, and minor details of construction may be made within the scope of, the invention without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages thereof.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In an apparatus of the character do scribed, the combination of a source of air and water supply, receptacles for receiving air and water therefrom,conductors connected with the receptacles, and electric heaters inclosing said receptacles, substantially as set forth.

2. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of a source of air and water supply including air and water receptacles, electric heaters inclosing said receptacles and means for conducting an electric current to either one or both heaters at will, substantially as set forth.

3. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of air and water receptacles, electric heaters inclosing said receptacles,a water-reservoir in communication with the water-receptacle, a union-pipe connecting both receptacles, a source of air-supply, an air-receiver connected thereto, and Valve-controlled connections for controlling the passage of air to the two receptacles and the air-receiver, substantially as set forth.

4. In an apparatus of the character described,the combination of a pair of electrical heaters, water and air supplying means connected thereto, and having receptacles inclosed by said heaters, conductors also connected to the heaters, and intercommunicating electrical connections between the heat- I ers, substantially as set forth.

5. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of a source of air and Water supply, air and water receptacles connected thereto, means for controlling the flow of air and Water to the receptacles, electric heaters inclosing said receptacles and having exteriorly-projecting contacts, and intercommunicating electrical connections between the heaters and including switches for conducting an electric current to either one or both heaters at will, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses, 7

JAMES MADISON GILBERT.

Witnesses:

F. W. BARTLETT, J. R. NE'vIUs 

